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BRATTLEBORO, Vt. July 2, 2021— Youth put their dairy knowledge to the test during the
Holstein Foundation's national Holstein youth competitions held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
last week, as part of the 2021 National Holstein Convention. Youth from around the country
engaged in friendly competition in three different contests.
"Youth learn life skills as they prepare for contests including critical thinking,
decision-making, problem solving, goal setting, and independent thinking, "says Kelli
Dunklee, Youth Program Specialist for Holstein Association USA. "Thank you to the many
coaches and volunteers who invest their time and knowledge in supporting dairy youth."
Dairy Jeopardy
Nearly 60 participants competed in the Dairy Jeopardy competition, divided into three age
divisions. This competition is based on the popular television game show, featuring a wide
range of dairy-related questions in several categories. Following are the top three
individuals in each age division
Junior Division (ages 9 to 13)
1st: Walter Rhodes, Virginia
2nd: Maggie Toothman, Virginia
3rd: Drew Lueking, Illinois
Intermediate Division (ages 14 to 17)
1st: Kristen Houser, Pennsylvania
2nd: Elizabeth Lentz, Pennsylvania
Senior Division (ages 18 to 21)
1st: Greg Norris, Massachusetts
2nd: Hayley Fernandes, California
3rd: Laura Littrell, New York
Dairy Bowl
In the National Dairy Bowl contest, four-person teams compete within two age divisions:
Junior, ages 9-15, and Senior, ages 16-21. A total of twenty-one Junior and Senior teams
participated this year.
Competing in the Junior Division championship match were the teams from Iowa and New York.
Winning first prize was the New York team with members Abbie Ainslie, Kayla Durst, Carolyn
Littrell, and Maxwell Pullis and coaches Carol Ainslie and Judy Littrell.
Participating on the Iowa team were Alia Domeyer, Isaiah Hammerand, Ethan Palmer, and Adam
Scott coached by Jeff Hammerand. Rounding out the top five junior teams were California in
third, New Jersey in fourth, and Wisconsin in fifth.
After an extremely close competition in the Senior Division between California and Wisconsin
that resulted in a tie-breaker match, Wisconsin took home the champion prize. Members of the
winning Wisconsin team included Katherine Elwood, Courtney Glenna, Grace Haase and Marie
Haase coached by Patti Hurtgen and Gwen Dado.
On the second-place Senior team from California were Rachel Mancebo, Mykel Mull, Victoria
Paolini, and Emma van Loben Sels, coached by Kirsten Areias. Other teams in the top five
included Pennsylvania in third, New York in fourth, and Iowa in fifth.
J. George & Anna Smith Sportsmanship awards are given to one Dairy Bowl
team in each division who best exemplify the principles of courtesy, friendliness, and team
spirit throughout the competition. Each team receives a cash award and plaque. In the Junior
Division the award was presented to Utah, with team members Erin Atkinson, Andrew Jenson,
Rebecca Jenson, and Trey Leak. In the Senior Division, the honor went to the team from
Minnesota with team members Ella Filk, Kiley Lickfelt, Tyler Ratka, and Rachel Visser.
Dairy Knowledge Exam
The Dairy Knowledge Exam is open to any youth attending the National Junior Holstein
Convention who wants to put their brain to the test with a 25-question written test. Like
Dairy Bowl, youth are divided into two groups by age. The top three individuals in each
division for the Dairy Knowledge Exam were as follows.
Junior Division
1st: Karley Rocha, California
2nd: Mary Fumasi, California
3rd: Chloe Chapman, California
Senior Division
1st: Hayley Fernandes, California
2nd: Marie Haase, Wisconsin
3rd: Mykel Mull, California
For more information about Holstein Foundation youth programs, visit
www.holsteinfoundation.org,
or contact Kelli Dunklee, youth programs specialist, at 800.952.5200, ext. 4124, or by
email.
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BRATTLEBORO, Vt. June 18, 2021 — The Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI), a cornerstone
program of the Holstein Foundation, is a nationally recognized three-phase leadership and
communication skills development program for young adults (ages 22-45) working in the dairy
industry. Full-time dairy producers that apply for YDLI will be considered for three
full-ride scholarships that come with an additional cash bonus upon graduation.
Dairy producers working with all breeds of dairy cattle, and allied dairy industry members,
are encouraged to apply. YDLI Class 12 will have on-site meetings in Fort Worth, Texas
February 15-18, 2022 and February 14-17, 2023. Applications are due August 1, 2021 and may
be downloaded from the Holstein Foundation website, www.holsteinfoundation.org.
Dairy producers that are Holstein Association USA members applying for YDLI are
automatically eligible for scholarships and do not need to fill out a separate application.
If selected, the scholarships will cover the registration fee, airfare, hotel and any other
travel costs associated with attending both the 2022 and 2023 meetings. Upon successful
attendance for both meetings, an additional $1,000 graduation bonus check will be provided
to the scholarship recipients to help offset costs of being off the farm.
The Horace Backus YDLI Scholarship will be provided to two dairy producers from anywhere in
the U.S. This fund was created by Tim Abbott, Frank Conyngham, Joel Hastings and Dave Rama
to honor Horace’s legacy and encourage dairy producers to attend YDLI.
The Robert L. Cain Memorial Scholarship will be given to one dairy producer in the Southeast
region. Cain served as a field representative and then Area Manager for Holstein Association
USA for 40 years.
"We believe YDLI is extremely beneficial for dairy producers and well worth the time away
from the farm," says Jodi Hoynoski, Holstein Foundation Programs Manager. "In addition to
these scholarships, dairy producers are encouraged to seek sponsorship from companies they
do business with to help offset the cost of attending."
Visit www.holsteinfoundation.org to download the YDLI Class 12
application, as well as view more detailed information on the program. With questions or for
more information, contact Jodi Hoynoski via email, or 800.952.5200, ext. 4261.
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BRATTLEBORO, Vt. May 10, 2021 — The Holstein Foundation is delighted to reintroduce the
Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI) after a year hiatus with a new location and refreshed
agenda. Applications for YDLI Class 12 are due August 1, 2021 and can be found at
www.holsteinfoundation.org.
YDLI is the cornerstone program of the Holstein Foundation. The nationally recognized
leadership and communication skills development program is open to young adults ages 22 to
45 working in the dairy industry.
After postponing YDLI for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Holstein Foundation
created a task force to evaluate all aspects the program as if they were starting with a
blank state. The minor but relevant changes made to YDLI ensure it will remain a top-notch
dairy leadership program long into the future. Several core components that have made YDLI a
success for the past 25 years will remain.
"This next class of YDLI could be the best one yet. If you’re even thinking about applying
for this class, you should," said Josh Hushon, Holstein Foundation board of trustees
chairman. "Over the past year, we’ve revamped the curriculum to better prepare the future
leaders of the dairy industry. This next group will be the first to benefit from that work
and I am confident they will."
YDLI's three-phase approach will reflect updates to the course content and schedule. Phase I
is the first face to face meeting February 15-18, 2022. Phase II is a series of self-driven
projects completed in the participants’ home communities. Phase III is a second in-person
meeting one year later, February 14-17, 2023. YDLI Class 12 will also have a new location in
Fort Worth, Texas, meeting at a hotel in the heart of the famed Stockyards area.
The Phase I and III meetings will focus heavily on interpersonal communication skills, and
topics
like team culture, influence, enabling change, and embracing diversity. Phase II will be
individually customized with projects and timeline to achieve personal goals and include
virtual meetings and reports. Phase III builds on the skills learned over the first two
phases and is planned to include a hard-hitting hot industry topics session.
YDLI seeks to attract the brightest and most engaged young adults in the industry and boasts
over 600 alumni since the program’s inception in 1993. By October 1, top tier applicants
will be selected for the class from across North America, diverse in their backgrounds and
roles within the industry. English-speaking international applicants are considered.
If selected as a YDLI class member, participants will need to invest the time required to
complete projects. Class members pay a registration fee, and their travel and hotel costs.
Some scholarships are available for full-time dairy producers that apply. The majority of
the program is funded by the Holstein Foundation, thanks to several generous sponsors. To
learn more about costs or sponsorship opportunities, as well as find the YDLI application,
visit www.holsteinfoundation.org.
With questions, contact Jodi Hoynoski at
jhoynoski@holstein.com
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BRATTLEBORO, Vermont, January 29, 2021 —The Holstein Foundation is
pleased to welcome David Fischer and Matthew Iager, DVM, to their board of trustees. The
board oversees the direction of the Holstein Foundation’s youth and young adult education
and leadership development programs.
Dave Fischer was raised on a Holstein dairy farm in Southern Illinois and was
active in the 4-H dairy project and Junior Holstein club. He received his Bachelor of
Science degree in Animal/Dairy Science at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and Master
of Science in Environmental Sciences with an emphasis on livestock waste management from
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
Fischer spent 40 years in his career as a County Agricultural Advisor and State-wide Dairy
Educator with University of Illinois Extension. He retired in 2010 and continued as Illinois
4-H Dairy Program Coordinator/Coach until 2020. Fischer has been recognized statewide and
nationally for his involvement and commitment to dairy youth programing. His youth dairy
judging and dairy quiz bowl programs have been highly successful, and Fischer has judged
several state youth dairy cattle shows, including the National FFA Dairy Judging Contest. He
currently serves as a moderator for the National Holstein Dairy Bowl contests and as a
member of the National 4-H Dairy Judging Management Committee.
"Having worked with dairy youth for nearly 50 years, I am continually impressed by their
energy, knowledge, work ethic, and interest to make a difference in their future. As a
member of the Holstein Foundation Board of Trustees, I look forward to helping dairy youth
reach their goals through the many opportunities provided by the Foundation," Fischer said.
Dr. Iager grew up in Fulton, Maryland at Maple Lawn Farms, a
Registered Holstein® dairy farm. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Dairy Science
from Delaware Valley University and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. Iager is a dairy
veterinarian specializing in embryo transfer with Mid-Maryland Dairy Veterinarians in
Hagerstown, Maryland. He, along with his wife, Laura, and children, Noah and Brooke, own and
operate MD-West-View Genetics, a certified donor facility that exports embryos worldwide.
Iager serves on the board of directors and is the current president-elect of National Dairy
Shrine. He is a past president of the American Embryo Transfer Association and Maryland
Holstein Association. He served on the alumni board at the Veterinary School at Virginia
Tech and is the current treasurer for Maryland Dairy Shrine. He has served as a delegate to
the National Holstein Convention and received the Distinguished Service Award given by the
Maryland Holstein Association.
"The Holstein Foundation is committed to serving young dairy leaders and fostering those
relationships for a brighter future. I am happy to serve an industry that continues to give
back to our youth," Iager said.
For more information on the Holstein Foundation and the programs offered, visit
www.holsteinfoundation.org or contact Jodi Hoynoski at 800.952.5200 ext. 4261 or by email.
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